Itishree murder: SC asks Odisha govt, CBI to submit ATR by Aug 4

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Odisha government and the CBI to submit the action taken report (ATR) on the brutal murder of Itishree Pradhan, a lady teacher of Tikiri Upper Primary School in Ragayaga district in November, 2013.

Itishree Pradhan

Deposing before a division bench of the apext court of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice NV Ramanna during a hearing, senior advocate N Nageswar Rao, representing the Odisha government, admitted delay by the state government in taking action against the 13 officials on the report of the administrative probe conducted by senior IAS officer and the then secretary, Agriculture, Rajesh Verma. The report was submitted to the government on October 25 last year.

He said the state government, which has initiated departmental proceedings against these 13 officials, has promised to complete the process within four months.

However, petitoner’s advocate Suresh Chandra Tripathy, in his argument, told the bench that the affidavit, filed by the chief secretary of the state government, has overlooked several other facts relating to the incident in an attempt to cover up the actual fact.

The bench, after hearing the pleas from both the sides, directed the state government and the CBI to submit the ATR by August 4. But in doing so, it made it clear that the government would not be given a day more beyond the August 4 deadline.

Among others, Crime Branch ADG, BK Sharma and special secretary, Home, Lalit Das were present during the hearing.